Will You Picnic With Purpose?

Jesus did all the time. Matthew 14:15-21 says he did so with 5k plus people! We probably won't have that many at ours after church on July 16, but hopefully, we'll have a few hundred. Because in addition to our church members, who bring their friends and family who might never walk into a church but would walk into a park for a delicious meal, we will again be serving smiles and lots of fresh squeezed ice cold lemonade to all the walkers, joggers, and proud doggie owners walking by our picnic (plus doggie biscuits for the dogs!!!). Pastor Daniel is organizing a corn hole tournament and Donna will once again be taking on all challengers in ladder ball. Sabbath afternoon promises to be a delightful day full of good fellowship, games, and worship. Jesus always picnicked with purpose. Will you?

Does Keenan Know God Loves Him Like Crazy?

Keenan Cahill is far from your average high-schooler. For one thing, he has overcome incredible adversity, suffering from a rare genetic disorder called Mucopolysaccaridosis (MPS-6) since birth. For another, at the young age of 15, Cahill has already achieved international superstardom from behind a webcam in his childhood bedroom no less by lip-syncing todays top 40 hits. It was his cover of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” that first threw Cahill into the spotlight earning 36 million views on YouTube and a legion of adoring fans including Katy Perry herself.

But it was Keenan's honesty about his condition that inspired a Chicago news team to ham it up in his bedroom helping him remind others that talent, no matter how much adversity its presented, can overcome all obstacles. I don't know if Keenan knows God loves him like crazy, but I'm sure He does!!! And I think God thinks it's pretty cool how one sick kid could inspire 36 million people without leaving his bedroom!!! WTG Keenan!!!

A Media Imperative?

Do followers of Jesus have a media imperative? Brian Solis from briansolis.com thinks so. He says 65% of the emerging "Millenial Generation" is disconnected from online stuff less than an hour a day! So if you want to reach them, that's where they are! And when we try, he says the acronym to keep in mind is not Keep It Simple Stupid. It's KISS = Keep it significant and shareable!

Obsessed With Church?

This vid reminds me of a quote from a book I'm reading right now. "This ecclesiocentric obsession means that primarily we mine both Scripture and culture for our own needs. We're so preoccupied with church questions that neither biblical narratives nor culture can become the places where God addresses us and challenges us to be converted" (Missional: Joining God in the Neighborhood, Baker Books, 2011) p.48. What do you think? Are Christians obsessed with church, money, and members? If we are, what can we do about it? What will you?

A Godly Sacrifice?

Stories like this one about Francisco ‘Paco’ Rodriguez remind me that God loves us like crazy and has a plan for your life—even after sin and brokenness often threaten [and sometimes] take it. Save 17 minutes to watch this vid some time. It moved me.

Can Christians Change the World?

Mother Teresa said, "Small things done with great love change the world." James Hunter, author of To Change the World might say it this way: "Small things done by networks of individuals and their institutions faithfully partnering with others over time change the world."

This book isn't an easy read because the first half undermines the "small things." Remember the Chicken Soup for the Soul story about the little boy on a beach littered with stranded starfish that picks one up and tosses it back into the ocean? That one was saved, but Hunter's point in the first half of the book is the vast majority of the "starfish" left on the "beach" [my analogy not his] prove Christians haven't really changed most of it. And never will if we continue to think the world primarily changes simply by altruistic individuals in power whether they're liberal or conservative.

As much as I hate to admit it (because I detest self-serving institutions and the hierarchy that runs them), if Hunter is right, individuals in institutions willing to make sacrifices so others flourish can change the world (so maybe there's a place for some of them)! IF Christians change the way they think about and pursue change. That's the good news you eventually reach if you read the rest of this book. Click pics for more info.

Best Rendition of 'How Great Thou Art'?

Millions of Americans have heard Carrie Underwood sing this stirring rendition of How Great Thou Art. Have you?

My Fave Apps?

Aside from carrying thousands of songs from my iTunes library, five of the latest Toledo First Church podcasts and six "Jesus books" [Jesus on audiobook by Walter Wangerin Jr is great for kids and what we're listening to for family worship, click for details], what I like most about my iPhone is its apps especially some that Pastor Anna showed me recently. Here are a few of my faves. If you have some too, do share!!!

• Dragon Dictation [free] records what I say and is amazingly accurate in turning the content into an email I can easily edit [if necessary] then send with the push of a button instead of texting messages on the tiny keys or typing them later on the computer.

• Dropbox [free] is worth adding to your PC or Mac even if you don't use a smartphone because it allows you to sync content when online to more than one of your computers [or someone else's if you invite them] by simply dragging a file into a folder on your computer.

• JotNot Pro [99 cents] turns your phone into an amazingly accurate scanner for pics and Word docs. Amazing really.

For seven more good apps, click pic or here to read Chis McConnells' article "10 Essential iPhone Apps for Pastors and Other Church Workers" in Outlook Magazine.

Have You Watched Earthlings?

Earthlings may be the single most thought provoking documentary I have ever seen in my life. It simultaneously disturbs and inspires. Not for little kids, I still think parents and churches and high-schools [with parental consent] should watch it and talk about it.

If God loves us like crazy, don't you think He loves the animals He created just as much? Shouldn't we? Especially since God told us to take loving care of them [what "dominion" really means cf. Genesis 1:26]? Click the triangular play button below for the Earthlings preview or click here to watch the entire 95 minute film for free. It's makers offer it free because they're pretty sure after watching it, you'll buy it and share it with your friends and family. They were right. That's what I did. The first five people who request a copy by emailing me your name and US Postal service address to mike4tune@gmail.com will receive the Earthlings DVD free.

Make the Connection. EARTHLINGS.com

Trip of a Lifetime?

Some of you know Jackie and I [back row middle] went with a bunch of pastor friends to Israel in January 2010. Seeing the places Jesus walked made the Bible "come alive" in ways you must experience to understand and I have wanted to return ever since!!! So I want you to know I am planning an eight-day tour back to Israel JAN 23 - 30, 2012. The tour is approx. $2500/person [not including travel to NYC where we depart] but will include visits to Tiberias, Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee, Mount of Beatitudes, Site of the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, Capernaum, the River Jordan, Mount Carmel, Caesarea, the Dead Sea, Masada, Ein Gedi, Qumran, the Garden Tomb, Calvary, Pool of Bethesda, Garden of Gethsemane, Mt. Moriah, Mount of Olives, the Western Wall, the Via Dolorosa, Bethlehem, the Kidron Valley, the Room of the Last Supper, and King David’s Tomb [click pics to see some of these places].

I'm hoping with enough notice, some of you may be able to join me! You do NOT have to be a pastor, Adventist, or a member of Toledo First Church to participate. If we get 30+ people to sign up, we get our own coach bus in Israel and hopefully Menachem my fave tour guide extraordinaire from last time!!! Click here for all the details and to download a flyer.

Happy Resurrection?

He raised us from the dead along with Christ so God can point to us as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace!!! — Ephesians 2:6-7 NLT (photo taken by me from inside Garden Tomb in Jerusalem January 2010)

For His Glory?

Years ago a monumental study of young people revealed that emphasizing grace, actively participating in community service, and teaching children how to pray, read, and share during family times of worship are three of the most significant factors that contribute to whether they will see God as significant and the church as a positive place to stay when they're adults [for more info read Valuegenesis]. This summer, you're invited to see how these things can work in your lives today.

We make time for sporting events [go Caps!!!] and theme parks [Sea World rocks!!!]. But when was the last time you and your family intentionally set a week aside to worship God and serve those He loves like crazy all together? Camp Meeting JUN 12-18 is coming fast and YOU are invited to join me there!!! Click above pic for details and room / RV reservations. Click here for a schedule of the week. And click here for bios and speakers. You do NOT need to be Adventist or a member of Toledo First Church to participate!!!

Your Easter Prayer?

I thank you, Lord Jesus, for becoming a human being so I do not have to pretend or try to be God / I thank you, Lord Jesus, for becoming finite and limited so I do not have to pretend that I am infinite and limitless / I thank you, crucified God, for becoming mortal
so I do not have to try to make myself immortal / I thank you, Lord Jesus, for becoming inferior so I do not have to pretend that I am superior to anyone /I thank you for being crucified outside the walls, for being expelled and excluded like the sinners and outcasts, so you can meet me where I feel that I am, always outside the walls of worthiness.

I thank you for becoming weak, Lord Jesus, so I don’t have to be strong / I thank you for being willing to be considered imperfect and strange, so I do not have to be perfect and normal / I thank you, Jesus, for being willing to be disapproved of, so I do not have to try so hard to be approved and liked / I thank you for being considered a failure, so I do not have to give my life trying to pretend I’m a success / I thank you for being wrong by the standards of religion and state, so I do not have to be right anywhere, even in my own mind / Into your hands I commit my spirit. Adapted from Hope Against Darkness, p. 38

Are You Amazed?

This vid reminds me Easter isn't about eggs. Enjoy!!!

Fortune Family Update?

The last few weeks we've been on the road. First stop? Greeneville, TN for my 94 year old grandma Mabel's memorial service. Aside from forgetting my Bible before the service and botching the words I thought I had memorized to Psalm 23 in the KJV, it went okay. I learned my grandma whistled alto in a trio back in the day. Why? Because she loved Jesus like crazy!!! So I reminded my family that one day, "The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the dead in Christ will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words." [The dozen pink roses are from Toledo First Church. Thank you!!!]

Second stop? Florida! Jackie's grandma and grandpa and my brother and his fam live in Florida so since we were halfway there, we drove there for the kids Spring Break. Though it rained hard a few days, Joshua and Lydia did enjoy feeding the Sting Rays and Dolphins @ Sea World and watching the sharks!!!

Third stop? Mount Vernon for 2011 Worship Fest. I chaperoned the boys in grades 5-8 and our kids from TJA sang their hearts out. Joshua also learned how to do puppets. What fun!!! The entire Worship Fest will be archived @ www.ohioadventist.org

Rev It Up Revival?

The freedom of the open road, the rush of the wind in your face, and the thrill of an IMAX® theater view of the world are things a person must experience to really understand. And knowing Jesus isn’t any different. To show biker enthusiasts this, there's an event occurring soon [June 2-5] I'm happy to share and invite you to invite your friends to join [click pic or see below for more info].

So please pick up some flyers to share from church and share them with your biker friends. Offer to go WITH THEM to this event. You and they may be eternally grateful you did!!! Download a brochure here. Contact my biker pastor friend Tom @ 740.739.0750 or TomHughes@BibleBiker.com for even more info. Call this number to make room reservations or RV / Camping sites @ 740.397.5411 extension 228 or email sshafer@mvacademy.org. Click here to register for FREE meals

21st Century Samaritans?

"You don't have to know somebody to do good for somebody." That's what one anonymous Mennonite told NBC News recently when a reporter asked why over 5 years after hurricane Katrina, teams of volunteers from Wisconsin and as far away as Canada continue to pour into Louisiana to help their neighbors a week at a time. With no fanfare. Ulterior motives. Or strings attached. Click play button below to see what I mean.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

God of Justice?

This guy in my church made this vid. Enjoy!!!

God of Justice from John Hood Jr on Vimeo.

Earthquake Reminders?

On March 11, 2011 the largest earthquake in Japan’s history triggered a devastating tsunami. According to the United States Geological Survey [USGS],this most recent Japanese earthquake and subsequent tsunami, while falling into the major category of anticipated seismic activity and breaking Japan’s previous record for largest earthquake in its history, does not break the consistent trend of one major 8.0 [or greater] quake per year the last 100 years [click pic above for more on trend], is not the largest recorded earthquake in magnitude the last 100 years [the earthquake in Chile on May 22, 1960 is still the biggest quake in the world on record with a magnitude of 9.5], and hopefully will not rival the most destructive January 23, 1556 earthquake that killed 830k people in China [click separate green links for more info].

I think it’s important for Christians to know and understand these larger seismic trends and historical facts so we don’t over-exaggerate the signs of the times when proclaiming the surety of Jesus’ Second Coming. Jesus came the first time. Right on God’s time. And regardless of life as we know it, He will come a second time [click Bible pic for more on that]. All earthquakes, whatever their magnitude, whenever they occur, are supposed to remind us of this!!!

Back to Basics?

Rest on the Sabbath. Heed Old Testament dietary codes. And be ready for Jesus to return at any moment. If these practices sound quaint or antiquated, think again. They're hallmarks of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the fastest-growing Christian denomination in North America. G. Jeffrey MacDonald wrote a great piece on my church denomination in a recent USA Today article. My fave line?

"The church has seen some of its strongest gains come in non-religious regions such as the Pacific Northwest. In Washington, for instance, the denomination has established 'Christian cafes,' where people can relax and ask questions without feeling the pressures of church. "You're not necessarily inviting them to church," Bryant said. "You're just sitting around, talking with people, building relationships — and slowly talking to them about Christ." What a concept!!! Click pic to read the entire article.

Crazy Animals?

God loves us like crazy and some of these animals He made are crazy. Enjoy!!!

Reading Revelation?

Previously during Soup for You, we've read books about suffering like The Shack illuminating the way God looks at the battle between good and evil. We've learned that God wants us to live like crazy because we are loved like crazy in The Ragamuffin Gospel. Because Hurt People Hurt People, we better understand the small and large ways we hurt and how God can mend our broken hearts. We still have a few copies of Lee Vendon's book It's All About Him skillfully explaining why Christianity is primarily about Who

you know not what you do. If you didn't get one yet, there's still time to do so and join us!

But starting Wednesday April 13, 2011 @ 6pm during Soup for You, Reading Revelation is the name of the next class we're offering to church members and the community. For years people have been fascinated by the strange symbols and ominous forebodings contained within the pages of the last book of the Bible. But if it's really a book revealing [what "revelation" means] Jesus, don't you think we should be able to learn more about Jesus from it? That has always been my fave teacher Jon Paulien's assertion I heard over and over fifteen years ago as I sat in the New Testament classes he taught while I was in seminary.

Recently, Paulien's new chapter by chapter presentations of Revelation have been printed which we'll be reading as well [Cost $10 while supplies last see www.revelationhope.com for more info]. Won't it be wonderful to know that the victory has already been won and that we have absolutely nothing to fear as long as we cling to Jesus? Join us!

Generation Rain?

God really blessed during Generation Rain. That's the name of the high school Bible retreat I was speaking at last weekend at Mt.Aetna Camp in Hagerstown, MD. Nearly 200 high schoolers, most of whom do not attend Highland View Academy, the Adventist boarding school next door, descended for the weekend. The worship was vibrant led by an entirely student praise team. The prayer and art rooms were full. Four youth were baptized SAT night and another planned to do so in their home church!!!

Previous years focused on calling and equipping young people while this year's theme was all about releasing them to serve and do mission to change the world. I used 1 Samuel 3, Exodus 3, Matthew 26, and Luke 10 to encourage them to get ready [Samuel], listen up [Moses], show up [Jesus], and keep up [disciples] their serving. I reminded them that with 33 million teens in America spending $150billion/year, that if enough of them organized themselves online, they could by themselves pay for wells to be drilled in every remote place on earth for $10billion. I told them that today there are 30 million women and children in slavery and that Toledo is the #1 most trafficked city in America per capita. That God looks at this and is displeased that there is no justice. That He is appalled there is no one to intervene [cf. Isaiah 59:15-16].

For more info on modern day slavery right here in Toledo, see www.thedaughterproject.org And PTL that God promised to rain down his Holy Spirit on the young and the old [cf. Joel 2:28]!!!

Happy Valentines Day?

What Your Sign?

Here's ours. Anyone else think it's ironic we're collecting soup but eating pizza LOL?!! Think people would come for some split pea instead? Join us for all the action on a 25' screen and tons of fun this SUN FEB 6 @ 6:30pm. Admission? Free with canned goods.

Then don't forget, on SAT FEB 12 @ 7pm, we're hosting a piano concert with Mary Grace - a one armed piano player who plays amazing music for Jesus!!! [click here for more info on her]. You and your sweetheart will be amazed and encouraged by her story and music. The concert is free, but 100% of the collected offering will benefit orphans in Haiti's Eden Garden Orphanage. Join us and bring some friends for Christ's sake [as my friend Charles likes to say]!!! Click her for map and directions.

How's Haiti?

Some friends from the New Hope Church in MD went to Haiti last year to find out. Click the vid to see what they found. And make plans to attend the Valentines for Haiti benefit concert SAT FEB 12 @ 7pm [click here for map and directions].

Untitled from New Hope Adventist on Vimeo.

Fear Not?

1 John 4:18 says perfect love casts out fear. But as my friend Bobby accurately points point out, perfect fear also casts out love. Could that be why 16-29 year olds say the Christians they know are "hypocritical", "insensitive", "judgmental", and "unChristian"? This Valentines Day, do something loving and read UnChristian: What a New Generation Thinks About Christianity...And Why It Matters [click pic more info] or click the vid below to get a another snapshot of how perfect love and radical empathy can still cast out fear.

Mission Trip to America?

My friend Dave shared this in church a few weeks ago. It is the most moving and powerful little video I've seen recently. Please watch it and remind yourself that the minute you walk outside your door, you've begun your Mission Trip to America!!!

Love At First Sight?

In August 2010, I told you about a book on CD that has had a tremendous impact in our home entitled Preparing for Adolescence by Dr. James Dobson [click here to read that post].What we're still doing is listening to 15 minute segments of this content before Josh goes to sleep [will do the same thing with Lydia soon!!!] pausing when necessary, to laugh, talk, or wonder about what was just said.

While this content contains some of the most helpful ways to discuss Biblical issues of sexuality, CD#5 also contains a very helpful 10 point quiz on true love between a man and woman. So much so that in 2011 I'm discussing each of them during chapels on Fridays with the kids at school. Would you pass this little True / False quiz? Would your kids? If not, maybe you should click the pic and buy your own copy of this content!!! It might save your kids or grandkids a lifetime of therapy and brokenness!!!

1. Romantic love at first sight occurs between some people.
2. It's easy to distinguish real love from infatuation.
3. People who sincerely love each other will not fight and argue.
4. God selects one particular person for each of us to marry and he will guide us together.
5. If a man and woman genuinely love each other, then hardships and troubles will have very little effect on their relationship.
6. It's better to marry the wrong person than to remain single and lonely throughout life.
7. It's not harmful or sinful to have sexual intercourse before marriage if the couple has a meaningful relationship.
8. If a couple is genuinely in love, that condition is permanent and will last a lifetime.
9. Dating for six months or less before marriage is best.
10. Teenagers are more capable of genuine love than are older people.

PS - Dobson says the answers to all these questions are FALSE including the first because love is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud, rude, self-seeking, easily angered, and keeps no record of wrongs [1 Cor.13:1-5] and you can't know whether another person loves like that at first sight.

Weekday Veg?

Becoming vegetarian in a carnivorous culture is a hard change to make. Especially when your son [like mine] is allergic to many of the things that vegetarians eat like nuts, legumes, eggs, cheese, and dairy. But recently I watched this 4 minute talk by Graham Hill who offers a powerful, pragmatic way to do so: Be a weekday veg!!!

It's one way to lose weight, improve your health, reduce cruelty to animals, become a better steward of God's earth, and live longer so you can tell more and more people that God loves them like crazy!!! Click pics for links to a couple related articles on wellness or the triangular play button below.

Abandon God or Abandon Yourself to God?

Larry Crabb, the wise Christian counselor says, "You can abandon God. Or you can abandon yourself to God." On the cross, even Jesus had to make this choice moving from "Why have you forsaken me?" to "Into your hands I commit my Spirit" [I'm grateful to my pastor friend Samir for pointing this out]. So at the beginning of a new year, it should come as no surprise to us that we too have a choice to make. And the good news is all of us can make either of these choices. No matter how long we've been Christian or even if we've never been!!! We can choose to abandon God. Especially when things go bad or we've been hurt or unfairly treated. Or we can choose to abandon ourselves to God. Who we can choose to believe still loves us like crazy even when everyone in this broken world doesn't.

But how do you abandon yourself to God? Well, that's what we're going to be discussing on Wednesday nights during Soup for You starting Wednesday February 2, 2011 @ 6pm. To do so, we'll be using this thought provoking paperback by Lee Vendon called It's All About Him [click pic more info].

The book costs $12.99, but can be yours for $10!!! A limited number of copies are available at church or on Wednesday nights. Why don't you plan on picking up a copy and reading it for yourself or saving one for your son or daughter? Some day they might be eternally glad you did!!!

Valentines for Haiti?

Mary Grace was born with physical deformities. Her right hand is a stump half past the elbow. And her right foot is 8 inches shorter with only 3 toes. But she never allows her disadvantage to hinder her from fulfilling a desire to produce beautiful music for Jesus. She has played the piano with her left hand and right stump [click vid below to see] in Guam, Germany, Korea, Japan, Philippines, Canada and the USA and has been featured in numerous journals [click here to read one article from the Adventist Review] and television ministries.

But on Saturday, February 12, 2011 she will be our guest as she shares her story of hope, faith, and inner strength to transcend limitations. The free one hour piano concert will start at 7pm and will conclude with a tasty "afterglow". Please pick up the invite cards at church and make plans now to invite your friends and family. 100% of the collected love offering will benefit the Eden Garden Orphanage in Haiti. This ordinary outreach is sponsored by the Toledo First Church of Seventh-day Adventists [click here for map and directions].

Dead Man's Hill?

That was the name of the hill under the power lines only the bravest bigger kids would sled down in my neighborhood growing up. This one is not as scary. But Lydia used to think so!!! Click the top vid to hear her commentary or the bottom one to see Joshua in action. Enjoy!!!

Is Committed Committed?

Some people don't think so because they think Christians shouldn't sing anything but overtly Christian or "sacred" songs. Because, they say, God cannot be praised any other way. But for the 2nd season in row, a group of Adventist guys are proving them wrong!!!

In the first season of NBC's "The Sing Off", an Adventist group called Nota with six graduates from Antillean Adventist University in Puerto Rico won the $100,000 cash prize and a recording contract with Epic Records/Sony Music [click here to read the Adventist Review article about their story]. Now, in its second season, the judges on the reality singing competition has whittled the acappella groups competing down to four and these graduates from Forest Lake Academy [Apopka, Florida] and Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama that comprise Committed are also in the running [click top pic for NBC's bio and middle pic for their Facebook page].

Whatever happens, they've promised to continue being committed to God and each other and to use their notoriety to tell others about Jesus. Click the vid below to hear them explain. And PTL that God is finding creative ways for His followers to WIN the right to be heard!!! Tune in tonight to watch Committed @ 8pm EST and don't forget to vote for them at the end of the show!!!

Truth About Poverty?

When we think of those in poverty, certain questions automatically come to mind. Why don’t they get a job?! Why are they so irresponsible?! Are handouts really all they want or need? What should a church know about serving those in poverty?

These are just some of the questions that will be answered after church potluck on consecutive Sabbath afternoons in January starting January 8 and continuing January 15 and 22 from 1-3pm.

Geared toward churches and organizations who are currently [or who are thinking about] working more intentionally with the poor, these classes teach participants what generational poverty is, the reasons why the poor stay poor, how to really help the poor, and how we can align ourselves with God’s heart for the poor.

Elijah Jones, long time Toledo resident with a wealth of experience serving the poor, will be teaching these classes and facilitating the follow up conversations. Elijah is a friend of Toledo First Church and serves on the Haven of Hope board. If you're at all interested in the next steps Connections takes to a possible storefront location downtown, please make these classes a priority!!!

Your response to these classes will help us determine whether we have the interest or "manpower" we need to proceed with a storefront. The classes are free and open to the public but RSVP @ 419.882.6200 is required.

Merry Christmas Card Quiz 2010?

1.) In January 2010, what was Mike’s fave part of being in Israel?
a. The Sea of Galilee boat ride
b. Floating in the Dead Sea
c. Worship @ Golgatha and Garden Tomb
d. All of the above [click here or pics above and below to see 30 more from Israel]

2.) In January 2010, what was Jackie’s fave part of being in Israel?
a. Seeing places the Bible describes “come alive”
b. Changing planes in Italy without seeing any of it
c. Menachem, our long-winded tour guide
d. Only A

3.) Which happened?
a. Joshua broke his adult front tooth
b. Joshua won the Daytona 500
c. Joshua won 2nd place in the Pinewood Derby
d. Both A and C

4.) What did Mike’s church do this year to show people that God loves them like crazy?
a. Raised money for victims of NW Ohio Tornado
b. Became the “American Family” for 9 International Students at University of Toledo
c. Nothing
d. Both A and B

5.) What else did Mike’s church do this year to show people that God loves them like crazy?
a. Gave away free Panera Bread every Friday morning
b. Went on a Mission Trip to America in McDowell County, West Virginia - America’s poorest county
c. Threw a Valentines for Africa banquet
d. All of the above

6.) What was Joshua and Lydia’s favorite movie?
a. God Grew Tired of Us
b. Waiting for Superman
c. Praying with Lior
d. Tangled

7.) Joshua [age 11] loves:
a. Designing tracks online
b. Feeding his albino constricting corn snake named “Peaches”
c. Cleaning his room
d. Both A and B

8.) Lydia’s [age 8½] loves:
a. Drawing
b. Singing in church
c. Hannah Montana reruns
d. All of the above

9.) Jackie and Mike...

a. Are still dating 20 years later [still happily married for 14]
b. Got no speeding tickets this year
c. Haven’t even started converting all their Hi8mm tapes to DVD or BluRay
d. All of the above

10.) Mike’s favorite books [click any title for more info] read include:
a. Crazy Love by Francis Chan
b. Who’s Afraid of the Old Testament God? by Alden Thompson
c. Who Stole My Church? by Gordon MacDonald
d. All of the above

>7 Fortunate—Cool as the other side of the pillow
>5 Unfortunate—Missing some grain in the silo
>3 A misfortune—Sharp as a marble

Answers: They're all D!!!

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Random Acts of Culture?

Random acts of culture by musical groups singing songs in public places have been popping up everywhere from a recent episode of Modern Family to this latest example Rachel sent me most recently. I think it's my fave because of the way it begins in a food court with the soloists braving the crowds all by themselves at first. Would you ever do something like this?

Retooning the Nativity?

Did you know that neither of the Gospel stories mention Mary traveling by donkey? That the Bible doesn’t mention an inn keeper? Or for that matter an inn? Click triangular play button below to see why.

Christmas Presence?

Last year during the weeks leading up to Christmas, we partnered with Toledo Junior Academy students and families in giving gifts to local families who could not afford to buy presents. We also raised some money for Serentity Farms — a local non-profit organization specializing in counseling services and therapeutic riding through the use of certified therapy dogs and special horses.

This year, as part of our Christmas Presence series of sermons preceding Christmas, we’re going to be partnering with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency [ADRA] using their 2010 Really Useful Gift Catalog to raise money each week in a special offering for goats! Why? Because item #43 says one breeding doe will give an impoverished family overseas additional income and access to milk for their children. And each goat costs only $70!!!

So when you come to church Sabbaths December 4-25, don’t be surprised to see “the poor man’s cow” tied up inside right beside the other Christmas decorations and manger scenes to help us remember how we can help impoverished families grasp the significance of Jesus’ Presence this Christmas. The wise men gave gold. We're giving goats to help families fight their way out of poverty!!!